


The Ascension Project

by vampire_daddy



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:19:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29542245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampire_daddy/pseuds/vampire_daddy
Summary: This was a story me and my homies made in hs, the original idea was made by three of us, and actually written by me and one other. It's the most edgelord sci/fi apocalyptic bs ever and I cherish this memory. We never came close to finishing it and just had a good time lmao. I just wanted a way to store it in chapter form so I made this acct, but if u happen to find this: welcome pls enjoy our incredibly self-indulgent story about a bunch of characters that are definitely not at all just self-inserts lmao. All the chapters from Piper's POV were written by L and all the chapter's from Astrid's POV were written by A





	1. Piper

I’m angry. It’s that simple. The repetitive drone of my instructor pounds in my head, making me angrier. Throw the knife this way, he says, hold it this way, he says. I should throw it at his head. I don’t though. Only because I know Mareth will be angry at me if I kill my third instructor this year. I hate instructors. I keep telling Mareth that I don’t need them. I’ve been trained since I was five with an instructor but, I’m older now. 13 years older to be exact. All the instructor does is get in the way.

“Please move,” I state, to my newest trainer. He presently stands between me and my one inch target, 30 feet away. He ignores me and continues on with his lecture about how I should time my breathing to when I release my knife. Every word he says, I have heard before. I know everything to do with knives. Why does Mareth insist I relearn it again and again with each new trainer? I twirl the glinting weapon restlessly in my hand.

I have never bothered to ask twice about anything. I either just take what I had asked for, or do my own thing. And that’s what I do in this scenario. I throw my knife with perfection. Its blade spinning until it hits the wooden target with a solid thud.

Jade, the instructor, squeaks and hits the floor. I missed hitting him on purpose but immediately regret it, when he rises to his feet and begins yelling in my face.

“You could have killed me, you useless girl!” he spits out.

“I didn’t though,” I reply. By now, I’m used to insults. He ignores me and just turns to leave, yelling behind him that I shouldn’t expect him back tomorrow. He slams open the training room doors, muttering under his breath that he should have never agreed to train me. I respond by giving him the middle finger salute.

The training room doors close softly and I am left alone. I stand in the middle of the room not really sure what to do with myself. The loud silence envelops me, I slowly turn and plod to my target to retrieve the blade. I rip the knife out of the soft foam. That instructor shouldn't of affected me. Nothing should. But this does.

“You should really try to use manners.” I am taken by surprise at the voice, but I stay still. The voice belongs to my adviser Julian Mareth.

“I said please,” I respond. I turn slightly so as to see Mareth’s face. He could care less about my attempt at humor. He stops and looks at the writing and formulas I’ve created on the concrete wall to my left. The scribbles of my boredom. He continues as if I haven’t even spoken.

“I’ve invested a lot of money in you Piper,” He begins. I can tell from his tone, he plans on giving me a long speech. 

“Nine years ago, you were on a hovercraft on your way to initiation. For one reason or another it crashed. Your legs were crushed. Useless. You were practically dead when my men found you and brought you here. With the Government’s permission I healed you. Over the course of three months, I gave you prosthetic legs. Making you faster. Stronger. I taught you how to walk again, use those legs to your advantage. I even made them to grow with you, as you aged.”

“I’m aware, what’s your point Mareth?” I ask unsure, and slightly impatient.

“It’s time you repaid the favor,” he responds. “Meet me in my office once you clean up.”

He leaves the same way he came, without me noticing. I'm still holding the knife from earlier and realize that I have been gripping the blade. I let it drop to the floor and observe the small cut I've given myself on the inner side of my hand.

“Damn it,” I say between my teeth, grabbing the proper end of the knife off the floor and walk over to my bag on the other side of the training room. I search in it for a while before finding a bandage. I place it over the cut and count to ten, I can feel the microbots begin to copy my DNA and mend the flesh. Upon taking the bandage off, I can only see the small faint line from where the cut was.

The anger from earlier and the new wave that Mareth caused, is sitting just below the surface, like an itch I can’t scratch. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my punching bag swaying gently. I walk over to it, and feel the dark black hatred in me flaring and begging to be let out. So I swing. My left fist connects with the 100 pound bag and is leaving when my right fist hits the bag with just as much power. The bag swings backwards then gathers speed and charges back towards me. Instead of doing the proper movement and sliding to the side to hit it with my leg, I hit it again with my fist. The momentum from its swing connects with my fist sending a course of pain up my wrist. I should probably stop and put my gloves on, or at least wrap my hands.

After a few more punches, I step back. The bag continues to swing restlessly. I bring my fists up to where I observe them. They're bloody and my hands hurts. I ignore the pain and heavily sit on the ground.

I light up one of the cigarettes I have on me. They're illegal but they also help to relieve stress. No one has ever caught me with one anyway so why not? Besides, I've only ever smoke on a rare occasion. I take a deep drag from the butt and let it out slowly, watching the smoke billow in front of me.

I stare at the wall opposite me and let my mind wander to Mareth and his order to come to his office. He only ever allows me to come there to give me a mission. This means he want's me to dispose of a troublesome target. I know how this government works. It can only thrive if it has the most loyal in it's midst. There are however, small groups of people inside who are like worms eating away at the core of our society. When they are found, Mareth sends me to kill them. We have a flawless system. That's how it should stay. I stand up and prepare to see Mareth.

Grabbing my things, I begin the walk to my room. Gray walls, with little light, echo my current mood. Rounding a few corners, I come to a door marked 132E. I grab the door handle and wait for the door to unlock. It quickly scans my fingerprints. The small click from the other sides acknowledges me, allowing entry.

When I’m safely inside, I flop onto my bed and look at the ceiling and run my fingers through my dark brown hair. My finger scrapes across the small scar above my right ear, the scar that marks where the microchip was placed to help control my legs. Without it my legs would have difficulty working according to Mareth. He says they had to place computer chips in my legs, the nerves there were so badly burned that my brain could no longer connect. So while the surgeons here were able to completely rebuild them and make them more powerful and stronger. I have to have the chips to send signals back and forth that allow them to work again. From my head, my fingers travel down to my neck where I know my small tattoo separates me from the other people here. The tattoo that says CP1. I was never informed on what the letters meant. Only that I was the only one tattooed with it.

I slowly stand and move to my bathroom. I remove my clothes and turn on the water to take a shower. The change between my legs and my prosthetic legs isn't hardly noticeable but still, I stare at the place where they connect. The water runs down me and into the drain. With it, my worries about what's to come.

I stay in the shower until reality begins to fade away. But eventually, I drag myself out and wrap a warm towel around myself. I leave the bathroom and begin to search my wardrobe. It consists of mostly black and other dark colors. I have never been the most colorful person and they’re pretty useful for sneaking around this facility. I grab what I need and slowly begin to dress. Once I'm changed into my clothes I head over to Mareth’s office.

Gray halls once again greet me and again, I weave my way among them till I come to a door labeled Head Research Department. Upon entering, one of Mareth's secretarial assistants asks for my name and business.

“Piper Sholtz, I'm here to see Julian Mareth on his request.” I keep my shoulders level and my back straight. My feet, shoulder length apart. The perfect soldier stance I was taught for as long as I can remember.

The assistant nods and goes behind the desk where he pulls up a screen I can't see. After a few minutes he seems satisfied and motions me forward through a set of double doors. I continue to walk through the eerily soundless halls and finally reach the door of Mareth's office. Unsure as usual, I reach up and knock twice. I can barely make out his muffled voice. 

“Come in.” I open the door and stand awkwardly while Mareth sits in a chair opposite of me behind a desk. Mareth indicates a chair a few feet away and I sit down heavily. We sit in silence while Mareth signs off on papers and I take the time to look around his room. I've been in here before, but it never ceases to amaze me. Plans of all kind are sprawled among the walls. All of them contain numeric expressions and odd formulas that spin my head. I have always been a science and math nerd but what I see here makes me feel unintelligent and ignorant. I look back to Mareth to find him watching me. I swallow hard.

“What are your thoughts on feeling?” He says. If he notices the curiosity in my eyes, he doesn't mention it. Just straight to the point. It's a bizarre question but, I answer it anyway.

“Feelings are dangerous. They can never be exterminated which is why the government must keep everyone in check and make sure no one lets their emotions make decisions for them. If people listen to their emotions and not their logic, they get into trouble.” I recite this as if I read it out of a text book. Mareth waits till I finish and then continues with his preaching. 

“If I told you that a group of young people have grown to have strong of feelings, would you agree that they should be put down?” I only nod this time, and Mareth again continues. “Two hours ago, a group of 112 people discovered what they thought was the cure for Ascension. They of course took it upon themselves to go and find it, thus going outside into the world.” He stops there and makes sure I am following.

He’s talking about the disease. The one that ravaged the world. The earth has been taken over by nature, and animals have almost regained their place at the top of the food chain, other than the only humans (if they can even still be called that) that still roam the outside world. The Attis, victims of the Thanatos Virus, a disease that takes over a person's brain and causes them to be viciously aggressive. Attacking anything around them, except other Attis, for sport. Unfortunately some have a residual superpower, from the original drug, Potential, created for the purpose of making a world of enhanced humans. although those who have been infected second hand are just mindless angry drones. I have never seen either kind, but I have never been outside either. Everyone is currently stuck in the ground. Hundreds of feet below the surface. I turn my attention back to Mareth as he begins speaking again.

“They’re chasing a myth of course, but they still need to be taken care of. Each person has a tattoo on their neck that reads RIS. Below that, a number. You were brought in here to be asked to take out all 112 people before they come back realizing there is no cure. If they come back, and create a new epidemic of the virus, when one of them unknowingly gets infected or if they return rambling about what the they have seen in the outside world. It would disrupt the system, disrupt this safe world we have created.” Mareth pauses before finishing. “Are you up for this mission?” I think carefully before answering.

“Sir..., I thought there was a cure?” Mareth nods and explains.

“There is a cure. However, these people are looking for a serum that was created before the world went to shit. No one had time to make one. Yet, there’s rumors of a lab that was very close.” There's a small hesitation but I act like I don't notice. “Search parties have reported that the lab is guarded by a mute with a tattoo like the other 112. She was taken by her father, a known terrorist. A year or so later, the father was killed by one of said search parties. They never found the girl, it's safe to assume she's still out there. The Mutes number is #42. But like I said myth and rumor. Now, answer my question Piper. Will you take this mission, or shall I find someone else?”

I sit awkwardly for what feels like an eternity. Everything that I have just been told swirls in my mind, making it hard to think. Somewhere in the mess, I wonder what would happen if I said no. Would Mareth be angry? Would he be disappointed? Stupidity wins out and I decide that, no, I will not take this mission. Why should I? Killing that many people? Couldn't there be a much easier and better way? I open my mouth to give my response when I forget what I was going to say. I stare at Mareth with my mouth slightly open and I blink a couple times before closing it. I look down at my hands in my lap. Must not of been very important; whatever it was. I look back up at the expectant Mareth and give my answer.

“I will be happy to do the Mission.”


	2. Piper

Mareth looks pleased with my decision and sits back in his chair. He nets his hands together and puts them behind his head. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. I sit in my chair still unsure. Finally, he stands and reaches over the desk for me to shake his hand. As I do, Mareth finishes our meeting with a quick smile. Turning to leave, Mareth speaks up behind me.

“You will be leaving tomorrow morning. Make sure you are ready Piper.”

I give him a small nod and then I am back out in the hall. The door to his office closes behind me and I go back the way I came. When I reach the first door I came through, Mareth's second hand man is there again. He looks at me curiously and asks 

“Everything go well?” I'm not sure how to respond so I simply shrug.

“Mhmm.”

The assistant just looks at me curiously. I keep my head down and walk out of the Research Department. I’m never good around people unless I am trying to kill them. The only person I can talk fluently to is Liam. He was my first training partner back when I was about 10 and fresh out of the hospital. My legs were new and I was unsure and clumsy. Together we suffered through our first trainer, Mr. Dyehs. Who I would later accidentally drop a 300 pound bag of sand on. (Liam had bet that I couldn't shoot the rope that was holding the bag up. I took the bet.)

Later Liam was transferred to a different division when my skills improved and surpassed his abilities. However, we would still stay in touch making him the closest thing I had to call a friend. So it's him I go to now with the news of my new mission. It's nearing dinner time and I presume that Liam will be on his way to the Cafeteria on the first floor. There are cafeterias on every floor but Liam and I always eat on the first. Mostly it's due to the few people who eat up there. Finally at the elevator, I hit the button and get on. I’m currently 15 floors below the surface so the ride up takes some time. There’s only one other floor below me and that's the Government Palace. Our president and all other important leaders are guarded 24/7 on that floor.

The elevator dings and I see I have reached the 11th floor. The doors open and several people file in. The doors close and up we go. One of the people that boarded is an older man. He studies my face for a moment before asking.

“I haven't seen you around before, you new to this end of Compound?”

“No. I just don't get out much, I only ever leave my floor when I'm sent on a mission.” Realization dawns on his face as to who I am and who I serve. There’s 2 million people in this compound, maybe more. My name is known by most everyone who keeps up in the politics. I am the girl who does Julian Mareth's bidding, thus the government’s bidding. And usually, their bidding is relates to me killing someone who has betrayed them. Worry is on all their faces now and I can't help feeling a little smug. All the passengers huddle together on the opposite side of the elevator and dismount on the next floor, leaving me alone again. The rest of the ride goes by without disturbance.

Eventually the final ding alerts me to my floor and the doors free me from the metal box. I step out and right away smell the cooked meat and fresh bread flows from the kitchen. I make my ways through the halls and enter the Cafeteria. I join the short line in which I will receive my portion of sustenance. Today it seems we are having beef stew, a roll and an apple. There is a choice of either water or milk. I choose water, seemingly unlike the rest of patrons. Because of the Ascension virus, everyone is afraid the water is contaminated and refuse to drink it. Which is a foolish idea, given the extensive filtering system that the Compound uses. Holding my tray of food in one hand and my drink in the other, I walk into the next room where tables are set out. Today there’s less people than usual eating here. Maybe only 100. I walk over to where Liam and I always sit and hope he's already there. Sure enough I see his closely shaven, brown haired head sitting with his back to everyone in the far corner. I slide my tray opposite him and slump in the chair. It works out great. He hates having to see everyone and so he keeps his back to them. I prefer to keep potential threats in my line of site, so I sit facing them. When I sit down, Liam looks up and a smile crawls onto his face. 

“Well, look who finally decided to show up.” What he says is true. I missed lunch earlier because I was still training. I just give him a glare which makes him smile more.

“Just shut up and listen OK? I tell him everything Mareth told me. About there being 112 kids outside right now looking for something that doesn't exist, the mythical Mute who guards the real cure, and Mareth's proposal to me and that I agreed to do it. I look back up into Liam’s bright green eyes and find that he is nowhere near as excited as I am.

“Piper you do understand that…” He begins.

“OOH! Our fearless warrior princess has finally proven she can do more than kill puppies!” The voice of Kyle Zander cuts off Liam as the owner of the voice sits down at our table with his girlfriend Layla. I throw a scowl in their general direction and say, “It’s not nice to eavesdrop.” I look back to Liam and ask.

“I thought I told you to tell him if I saw him again, I would punch out his front teeth?” Kyle Zander is the only person in Compound who knows how to push my buttons. Everything he does, annoys me. He had been allowed to train with me and Liam but always skipped class. The only reason I haven't killed him yet is because of his one redeeming quality that may make him useful to me, he has the brains of a genius when it comes to computers. Whether it’s downloading a virus or hijacking a network, he can do it. He’s also a soldier. One of the many his age. Liam is a soldier as well but not as well trained as Kyle. Just because he skipped out on training, doesn’t mean he wasn't skilled in fighting. I’m still looking at Liam but again it’s Kyle that talks.

“Nah, he told us. That’s it though. It’s not like he’s going to force us away.”

“No,” I respond as I stand up, “But I will.”

“Ohhh I’m so scared,” smirks Kyle as he grabs the apple off my tray. I haven’t touched any of my food yet, so I lunge across the table to try and grab my apple back.

Kyle simply leans back in his chair and takes a bite out of it. His bright blue eyes taunt me, I know he’s making me mad on purpose so I decide to play along with this game of fuckery. Snatching back the apple I take a bite out of it as well just to prove I don’t care. I grab my untouched food and decide to go back to my room. As I dump my tray, I hear Kyle say something but choose to ignore him. Liam comes running after me.

“Piper, wait up, you know he's just joking right?”

“Yes Liam, I know he's joking. I still want to punch his pretty little face though.” We’re at the elevators now and I jam my finger into the down button. The doors slide open and Liam and I walk in.

“Just ignore him. I do all the time.” replied Liam as we start to descend. I just roll my eyes and stare straight ahead. We stand in silence for a while before Liam brings us back to the discussion of my mission.

“Why does Mareth want you to kill 112 kids? If he just increases security he could keep them out and eventually they’ll die from the stuff outside.”

“People will ask questions. It’ll cause more trouble than they want to deal with.” The elevator stops then and I see that we’re at floor 12. The floor Liam lives on. When the doors open, Liam walks out.

“See you tomorrow Pipes.” He says, using my nickname. I wave in response and the doors begin to close. He turns around and begins to walk away when I realize I won't see him tomorrow.

I jam my foot in the remaining space of the elevators and yell “Wait.” The doors jerk back open and I run to Liam and jump in his arms. He looks a little surprised until I say, “I'm leaving in the morning. I won't see you.” He understands and hugs me tighter.

“Don't go getting soft and mushy on me now Pipes,” he whispers into my ear.

“Don't go hanging around Kyle too much, you might start acting like him.” I whisper back.

Liam just laughs and takes a step back, setting his hands on my shoulders. He's about two inches taller than me so I have to look up to meet his eyes. 

“Just make sure you bring yourself back here in one piece OK?”

“OK,” I try to smile reassuringly, I doubt it helps. Liam squeezes my shoulders, then turns and walks away. I take a deep breath and assure myself everything will be fine. I return to the elevator, and continue the journey back to my floor. When I reach the 15th level, I walk slowly back to my room. My limbs feel as though their motorized, like their weighed down with the prospect that this is my last night here for who knows how long. More than anything though, I still don't want to admit that for the first time since my accident, Liam won't be there with me. It terrifies me, though I’ve excitedly awaited the change in my daily monotony for ages. 

Upon arriving at my room, I find a small box with my name on it sitting just outside the door. I pick it up and enter my room. Using the knife I always carry on me, I open the top up. Inside in neat piles sits several packs of dried meat, an water filtration bottle and a medipack. At the bottom sits a note simply saying From the desk of Julian Mareth  
I send a silent prayer of thanks for Mareth having sent the stuff to me. Packing food had been on the bottom of my to do list. I reach under my bed then and pull out my backpack, in which I put my new gifts in. I choose my favorite knife set. I normally do Mareth's business with a gun, but I don’t know how long my mission will take and I will likely run out of ammo too quickly to justify the extra weight. I put the knives into my vest’s built in sheaths. Not knowing what the weather will be like, I grab some protective warm clothes and put it with my travel gear. I select some clothes for the journey tomorrow and decide I’m ready as ever. I just have to wait nine more hours. I change and get into bed, but find that i’m far to anxious to sleep. The lights go out all over Compound, yet I still just lay there, staring into the dark. I have never done anything this big before. Time passes but I can not force myself to sleep.

I must have dozed off eventually because I wake with a start and the lights have come back on in Compound. This is it, the day I start my biggest mission. I dress quickly feeling a little frustrated due to the choice of clothes I have to wear. Usually I’m going to miss my usual clothing that allows for easy movement, not to mention style. I pull on my leather and beaten worn but dependable army boots. I've always admired these shoes, though not for their trustworthiness, but for the knife the sits in the bottom of my left shoe. Undetectable to all except for those that know it's there. I pull the satchel I previously packed over my shoulder and check once more that my knives are present. Seeing that they are, I go over to my door. I’m prepared to take on the unknown. Before I leave though, I remember one more thing. Retreating back into my room I go over to my desk and pull out a pack of cigarettes. I shove them in my pack and walk through the door, Unfortunately, the halls are slightly busier than normal and several people pass out of my way when I walk out of the room. Some look up at me but quickly look away when realizing who I am. I turn around and shut my room door with a final look around inside. Somehow, I don't think I’ll miss it. I start to weave my way around the crowd and reach the elevator once more. The journey up passes with no interruptions and soon I stand on the “0″ floor of Compound. Its nothing but a small hallway, heavily sealed door and two guards.

I begin to walk forward, my steps echoing in the utterly silent room. The guard on my right steps up to me when I reach the door. I look into the protective helmet and am surprised to find it to be Kyle. He stands stiffly like he is unsure about being here. His uniform is crisp and new. His hair which is normally a mess has been cut and now lays close to his head. It's like he's changed into a new person over night. I don't realize I’ve been staring at him till he clears his throat loudly. I look up abruptly and ask.

“What are you doing here?”

“I've been promoted,” he pauses here not really sure if he should continue, “To door duty,” he finishes.

I almost laugh because of his awkward choice of words and the fact that he got one of the most prestigious low level jobs in the compound. It makes sense though. When all kids under 20 are promoted to an actual military job, they usually have to make themselves more presentable. The rule never applied to me for reasons I never bothered to ask for. However, I never thought Kyle would have been capable of being promoted. Even if he was I would have expected him to be placed somewhere in the Tech department. Not Guard duty. 

“Does the Commanding Officer know you’ll most likely just sleep while on duty?” I question. A small smile rises on his face and he just looks down as if he's embarrassed. 

“Actually, I asked for this job.” My eyes widen and I give a half nod. 

“Impressive,” I say not able to think of anything else. Kyle gives a small laugh as I try to turn back to the door, but he catches my shoulder.

“Hey Piper,” In his hand, offered to me, is a small unidentifiable object, I take it and shove it into my pocket. I look up into his eyes and for the first time in my life I don't have a quick remark to snap back at him. Instead I just nod and turn to continue on my way. He punches in the code and sends me through the identifying and decontaminating process. I go through required blood, eye and fingerprint scan, before I hear the Compound door lock behind me. A second door into decontamination requires me to airtight door open and lock it, before continuing to the last one.

I do one final look over of my sparse provisions and step forward, ready to open the final airlock, but a loud crackling surprises me. The intercom is then filled with Mareth’s voice.I feel myself stand a little straighter despite him not actually being with me in the room.

“When you walk through that door, you will not come back through it until every one of those RIS kids are dead. I can't have them come back here. Do you understand?” 

“Yes sir.” With that the intercom crackles off. There’s a little piece of me that wishes he would have said a little better goodbye but I shove that thought out of my mind. It wouldn't be him if he said goodbye in person. He already said his goodbye last night by giving me the box of supplies. I turn back to the door and crank open the airlock. With a gentle whoosh of air, the door opens. I’m temporarily blinded by the summer sun. But I take a step any way. The step that carries me outside and into the unknown. And for the first time, out of Compound.


	3. Piper

I take another step and feel a cold wave of air brush against my face, as if it’s trying to push me back inside. I ignore it, take one more step and turn around to see what the compound looks on the outside. Very little of the building is above ground, but what is appears dirty and decayed, the concrete crumbling in some places.

My eyesight has finally readjusted and I can now start to make things out beyond my (former?) home. I had expected torn down buildings and destroyed roads however, only trees stretch out for as far as I can see. It’s strange to see them in a wild unkept state, as the only trees I have seen before were in the carefully manicured ecology floor of the Compound. Their multi-colored heads reach up to a blue sky jumbled with clouds. The breeze from earlier flirts with leaves that dance carefree as they fall to the already leaf littered forest floor.

A small chirp alerts me to a small bird that sits perched upon a dry leafless branch of a tree. The bird flies down near me, investigating to see if I pose as a danger. Eventually when it seems satisfied it pulls back up and lands back in the tree.

I begin walking away from the Compound and continue to observe my surroundings. The leaves under my feet crack and break, completely obliterating any hope I had of using stealth for this mission.

Continuing to move, I remember the object Kyle gave me is still in my pocket. I look down at it and suck in a quick breath of surprise. It's a communication Com. The only people allowed to use it are the government's head officials.(If people were allowed to use them freely, they could organize a rebellion or something equally devastating to the Compound). Unsure what to do with the comm, I put it in one of the side pockets on my satchel and decide against using it.

I remove one of my knives so as to have it ready if needed and continue to walk in what my compass tells me to be south-east. The deeper I walk into the woods, the more new creatures I see. A small rodent which I believe to be a squirrel, runs across the small path I am following. I continue to trail down the path and see small tracks of what can only be a deer.

Time passes and I lose track of how far I’ve gone. The small slope I've been ascending levels out and I come to a small stream of water. Letting my satchel fall to the ground as well as my knife, I kneel over the water and throw some onto my face. The hottest part of the day has been looming over me for the past hour and I drained my water bottle far faster than expected. So the water is more than welcome. I refill the bottle and the automatic filter in my bottle starts to work but, the filter will take a few minutes before the water is safe to drink. So I lean against a tree and let my eyes drop close.

The smallest of cracks alerts me to snap my eyes open little more than seconds after. The knife I was holding earlier is next to my satchel not but two feet away from me. I move to grab it and hide it under my leg. I wait patiently until the shape of a human emerges. It’s a boy. Not much younger than me by his looks. Sandy blond hair messily frames his gray eyes. He wears simple blue work pants and and a dirty orange shirt covered in holes. Dirt smudges his face and generally he looks like he just finished rolling down a hill.

He looks up then and stops abruptly. I see him hold his breath and take a small step back. We stay like that for a while. Him staring at me and me staring back trying to mirror his expression of surprise and wariness. Finally, he seems to decide I am not much of a threat, (he couldn't be more wrong) and slowly approaches me like I’m a wounded animal.

“Hey, did you get sent out to scout too?” He crouches at my feet and tries to give me a friendly look. “I thought it was only me. I'm kinda glad it isn't.” I can tell now that he isn't worried about me as he sits softly down opposite of me. I realize I should probably play along with this.

“Ya, I thought that to,” I respond to him. He holds out his hand for me to shake and as I reach out to, he says.

“David.” I give him a friendly smile.

“Piper.” He's going to be dead anyway soon so why not tell him my real name. Who shouldn't have the pleasure of knowing their killers name?

“Have I seen you around Compound before? I don’t think I have.” He looks at me curiously before adding with a laugh, “I guess Compound is so big we haven’t met half the people that live there.”

“No, I guess we haven't.”

David just smiles again and pulls over the pack that was resting on his shoulders. He puts his hand in it and I stiffen a little at what he might pull out. Instead of a weapon of some sort, he retrieves a small pack of dried fruit. He reaches over the distance between us and hands it to me before reaching for another one. His kindness roles over in my mind and I am a little startled by it. I leave the dried fruit where he put it.

“I didn't poison it if that’s what you're worried about,” remarks David.

I just sigh and stand up bringing the knife with me but still keeping it out of his sight. “Look,” I start, “You're really nice David but, I still have a job to do.”

“We all have a job to do. That doesn’t mean we can’t take a break once in a while. Besides...” He stops talking when I bring the knife out from behind my back. “Piper, what are you doing?” There is worry in his eyes finally and I take a step forward. He jumps to his feet not sure what to do next.

“I am doing my job,” I say. With that, I lunge forward. The boy’s eyes widen in panic and he attempts to lean away from me. But before he manages to get up to run away, I drive the hilt of my knife through his rib cage and into his heart. When I pull my knife out he looks down at the wound before swaying and tipping over to lay in a fetal position, curling into the wound where his hand trys to keep the blood in. A gurgling sound comes from his throat before he goes limp.

He's dead I think, or at least he will be soon. His hair is cut short in the back and I see on his neck #90. 1 down, 111 left.

I grab number 90's pack and search it only to find a map, a compass, a small piece of cooked meat and another pack of dried fruit. I eat the meat and the first pack of fruit that was given to me, while I transfer the boy's supplies in my bag and grab my water. Assuming the filter has done it's job, I take a drink. It tastes fine so I take another. There is still a good couple hours of daylight so I grab my possessions and start walking east. As I walk, I focus on cleaning my knife. Using a wet piece of shirt I took from the boy, I swipe up and down the blade. Most of the blood removes itself instantly but a few streaks stay attached to the edge.

Not much time passes before I find myself on the edge of the forest looking out a sandy dunes and what can only be the ocean in the distance. The pictures and paintings I’ve seen could never have prepared me for it's vastness. It stretches out with no interruptions and seems to never end. Looking over my shoulder, I can see a break in the trees in the distance, which can only be the clearing where the compound sits. It's farther away than anticipated. Off to both my sides runs only waves of green forests. There is no movement other than the occasional gust of wind that shakes the trees. My eyes are then pulled up to the sky to find the sun leaving and with it, it’s warmth. Knowing I should find protection for the night, I tell myself to get moving. There's one problem though. My eyes don't want to leave the sky. They are attached, not to the sun; but, to what is taking its place.

Exquisite swirls of red, pink, and orange encircle the ever decreasing sun. Above the ocean, that I can now barely see, rises a dark cloak that eats away the diminishing blue haze. I look into the darkness, waiting... waiting.... Then finally, I see them. Stars. Small scraps of light scattered across the fields of space. The darker it becomes, the more stars there seems to be. An uncountable number. So many of them, bright and alive. Then there are some so dim they look like they are about to go out. All of them; however, seem to whisper to me, daring me, to reach up and snatch them from their bed of infinity.

I stand on hill for a little longer and continue to wait for the moon I’ve read so much about. It doesn't come. After minutes of waiting, I realize that it won't be coming tonight because it's a new moon. A cold gush of wind runs across the hill I stand on and finally rips me from my reverie, reminding me of the shelter I need to find. Pulling my jacket tighter around me, I let my legs carry me down the hill.

Everything is quiet in the forest now and the birds from earlier seem to have fallen asleep. Instead of the cheery chirping creatures, I am left in the company of the many owls. Hearing one screech I turn around and spot it perched high in a branch stretching it's neck as it investigates me. Feathers atop of it's head curve outward like horns grown from its skull. Piercing yellow eyes greet my own eyes. Turning my back on the animal and continue to search for a place where I can stay for the night. After an hour of slowly picking my way through the dark, I make out a small rock formation. I walk over to it and find a indent with it’s face with a small overhang above it. It's not ideal but it will have to do. I throw my pack down, take out my sleeping bag and curl up with my back to the rocks. I stare out into the open searching and listening to anything that might be a sign of trouble. When nothing happens, I pull out my food and nibble on a piece of dry meat while continuing to stay alert. 

Finally feeling certain nothing will come in the night, I pull out one of my knives and lay down. Still keeping my back to the rocks, I set my head down on my satchel and steady my breathing. It's now that I start to notice the noises I hadn't noticed before. It's nothing alarming and in fact is almost soothing. The small crickets under the leaves start to chirp. Far away, I can make out the sound of an owl hooting softly. And as if it's a mother to them all, the wind continues to envelope their sounds in an smooth lullaby.

It's to these melodies that I close my eyes and slowly let myself drift into sleep.


	4. Piper

I have never understood people's logic to the saying “I love having your face to wake up to in the morning,” because I have only ever wanted to see my own face first in the morning. Not any other face, just mine. Why would I want to wake up to anyone else? Besides, where is the fun in having someone breath down my neck all night just so we can be cuddly together? Also, who in their right mind would want to share a bed with anyone?

I say all this because, while the first day above ground was extraordinary, my second day wasn't starting out so great. The first thing I see when I open my eyes is a large wet nose. I blink a couple times to make sure I am not seeing anything. Nope. I’m not. Laying on my chest sniffing around my face is a large rat.

Letting out a frustrated scream, I jump up, now fully awake. The knife I slept with is still clutched in my grip and I bring it down hard. With a rewarding crunch it pierces the hide, goes all the way through the rat, and out the other side. Instead of stopping then and seeing if the animal is edible, I continue to stab it.

As I butcher the thing I yell, “Get out of my sleeping space you STUPID FUCKING ASSHOLE!” When I’m done stabbing, I pick the rat up around the middle and chuck it into the forest as far as I can. Again I remind myself why I never have allowed anyone else but myself in my bed.

Knowing I won't be able to fall back asleep now that I've been woken, I put away my knife and grab my pack off the ground. The sun has started to poke its way over the horizon. The sunrise is not nearly as spectacular as the sunset was but, I still gaze in awe at it. The slight breeze from yesterday is gone; however, it left behind multiple clouds . All of them are resting above my head and drifting lazily across the sky without a single care as to where they are going.

Not wanting to eat anything for breakfast, I take a drink of water and start walking. Already I am starting to notice the changes in everything from yesterday to today. The air seems heavier and gives my skin the feeling that it's having water continuously poured on it. Yet every time I look at my arms, they are dry. More leaves have fallen off the trees and without the wind, everything seems to be more silent.

Judging from how far the Compound was when I saw it, I estimate the distance I've traveled to be about 18 miles. I don't really have a plan for how I am going to catch all of the RIS children so I am just wandering around until I come across them. My best chance is to continue going east and hope some of the others are also heading for the coast.

I'm starting to estimate about how long it will take me to get there when I stumble out of the tree line and onto a path. It's clear to see that it is a game trail and that mostly animals use it. It does me no good and I am about to step over it when I see a human footprint in the dirt. I pause for a minute and observe it. Who ever left it behind was large. The print itself is huge and goes deeper in the ground than my own prints do. The tracks lead off to the right of me and continue to follow the trail.

I know I could ignore the prints and continue going east but the prints look less than two days old. If I hurry, I might be able to catch up to the owner. My mind needs no further convincing.

Pulling out a knife, I start out at an easy run that. The path weaves itself throughout the forest and I quickly lose sense of the direction I am going. I pull out the compass from earlier and see that is shows I am now heading north-east.

The longer I follow the trail, the denser the forest becomes. The sun is becoming harder to detect with the ever increase in trees and the clouds are growing darker as well. The trail is becoming difficult to see and I almost trip over a root sticking out of the ground. For all I know, the person I am following could have turned around and went back out. If I was smart I would turn around also. Stupidity wins out though and I continue to go forward with curiosity pushing me to keep going. I want to find out where this trail leads to.

There is barely any light now that I can use to see with but, my eyes have gotten use to the dark now to. Shapes are easier to make out and I am not stumbling around in the dark so much. Eventually the trail comes out into a small clearing and splits in two. The main trail continues going the same direction. The second part juts to the left and is less walked on. A small hole in the tree leaves lets in a little light and I can see what appears to be a small cave off to the side of the second trail where it ends.

I start to pass the turnoff of the trail but something catches my eye. What looks like a shoe seems to be poking out of the cave. I pause before turning around and walking over to the shoe.

I have just reached it when a putrid smell reaches my nose. It smells like something dead and spoiled. The stench reaches into the back of my throat and I have the impulse to gag.

I round the corner of the cave and am met with a repulsive sight. The corpse of my prey lays shredded and unrecognizable. They look half eaten and the rest of them is torn into pieces. I can not even recognize if the body was male or female but I’m guessing male due to the size of the remains.

My eyes continue to scan the cave and come to rest on a large furry object. Walking over to it, I observe that it's white and not breathing. It's paws are large and padded. The tail hangs limply and stiff. In my mind I go through all the possibilities it could be from what I learned as a child. Finally I come to the conclusion that it must be a dog. Somehow though, I think it's too large to be a dog. Then it comes to me.

A wolf. I poke the stomach of the beast and am rewarded with nothing. It's definitely dead. Searching for the source of why it died, I find a small paper package by its muzzle. I pick it up and read POISON printed in large black letters over and over again. I drop the package and wipe my hands off on my pants.

I move back to the body and look for anything that can be salvaged. I reach down to grab a small pocket knife that is still grasped in the boy's hand when I hear a growl come from behind me. Jerking around I whisper,

“Shit.”

I step back to the wolf and poke it again. I see the back hip of it move in a little shudder. I glance at the head and see it's eyes are unmoving and glazed over. It's definitely dead. The wolf moves again and in the same place as before. I take a step back and watch as the hip moves once more. There is something under the wolf.

I move back closer to the wolf and bend down being careful not to nudge the animal. It doesn’t move now and so I gently grab the back legs of the wolf and flip it over. I take a deep inhale of breath than cough as a new wave of death stench fills my head.

Three small wolf pups lay unmoving in a small hole the mother must have dug before dying. All three of them are huddled together but none of them are moving. I stand there puzzled, trying to figure out what was moving earlier. I look back at the mother just in time to see a small furry body crawl partially under it. I shuffle back to the mother and see two small paws and a tail sticking out from under the older wolfs stomach. I see the tail shiver just a little before trying to squeeze farther under the mother.

It's still fairly dark in the cave but I can still tell that the one pup is significantly smaller than the other three. I know I should just leave it and let it die or fend for itself but I can't bring myself to do that. What's wrong with me, I think. You can kill people but not a flimsy wolf pup? I take in a small breath of air than let it out with a huff.

Reaching down I grab the pup around the middle and pull it out. It lets out a surprised yelp at being grabbed around the middle and starts to wiggle in my hands. I press it down against the floor until I reposition my hands then lift it by the scruff to eye level. It stares back at me and lets out a snarl as it shows it's teeth. I can't see it very well so I carry it outside of the cave and into the light. It squirms in my hand and continues to growl while trying to free itself.

Now that I can see better, I find it to be a girl pup. Great, now she's going to have an attitude when she's older. She has bright blue eyes that remind me of shimmering water. Her face is covered in soft white fur that goes down to her tummy and the underside of her tail. Her legs prove to be also white with hints of gray through them. The rest of her is gray and a kind of blue color that is very prominent on her back. She is, in all reality, very pretty.

I scrunch up my face in thought as to what to do next. I don't really want to stay here any longer due to the smell which is starting to give me a headache. The pup has given up at trying to escape and just hangs in my arms and giving an occasional growl. I walk back into the cave and find some rope that the other boy must have had. I tie it around the wolf's head and set her down. She right away runs back over to her dead mother but quickly reaches the end of the rope and gets jerked back. I hold firmly to the other end and again walk back outside. With no surprise the pup doesn’t follow me and I end up dragging her behind me.

I drag her over to a log opposite of the cave and sit down. A small growl of my own emerges from my stomach and I find myself to be extremely hungry. I tie my end of the rope to one of the trees next to me and pull out some food. I chew thoughtfully on a piece of meat and watch as my new pet struggles against the rope. She must get tired fast because not 30 seconds later she gives up fighting and lays down facing me.

I pull out another piece of meat and tear a small bit off. I throw it so it lands halfway between me and the pup. She sees where it lands and jumps to her feet with an excited yip. Then as if scolding herself for being happy with me she shakes her head and lays back down. She gives me a little growl then goes back to ignoring me. I eat another piece of meat and see her eyes raise to my hand that holds the food then drift to the part I threw her. Slowly she rises to feet and as if not wanting me to notice, walks softly to the meat on the ground. Pausing she gives me one last look before grabbing the meat in her mouth and running back to her spot at the end of the leash. She starts to chew on it and I can't help but laugh as she lets out a little growl as she eats it.

It takes her little time to finish eating it so I reach in and grab her a second piece. This time I throw it all the way to her. She sees it and eats it just as fast. She stares at me in a pleading way and I have to force myself not to give her more. My food is already running low and I haven't focused once on hunting anything other than my fellow human beings.

The day is progressing fast and if I wish to do any hunting, I should hurry. Untying the wolf, I swing my pack back on my shoulder and start to head back to the main trail. I haven't gone ten steps when I stumble back from my arm being jerked back. When I turn around I see the pup laying on the ground in a determined way so as to say, I'm not moving.

“Really?” I mutter as I cock an eyebrow. “You're gonna make me drag you... again?” In response, she just growls at me again. With a roll of the eyes, I turn back to the trail and start walking. The rope becomes tight again but this time I give it a quick jerk and here a grunt from the other end. My efforts to get the pup to follow me, however, prove to be useless as she continues to pull back against the leach. And so it is, I scare off everything in a one mile circumference when I drag a 10 pound wolf pup across the forest floor for the next two hours.

After what seems like an eternity, the dense forest disperses out and I come to an open field with nothing but the sky above. It's here that my luck decides to change for the better and I come across a nest of what appears to be rabbits. Tying up the wolf, I creep forward until I am less than 15 feet away. The rabbits sit still either unaware of my presence or hoping I am unaware of theirs. Pulling out a knife I take another step. My small movement forces the victims to jump and run in multiple directions. Throwing my knife I aim for the neck of one running to the left of me.

I connect to my mark and the target trips over its own feet falling to the ground with a final twitch. When I reach my kill I am disappointed to find it to rather small. Shaking off the dissatisfaction, I pull out my knife and start to skin and clean the animal. As this is the first animal I have ever skinned and butchered, by the time I am done, there is only a small handful of meat that is salvageable. It's not much but will suffice for at least one meal.

I return to the wolf pup and am surprised that she has caught a rabbit of her own and is now eating ravenously away at it. She sees me approach and turns her back to me as if she thinks I am going to take the food away.

I look around at my surroundings and decide this is as good of place as any to make camp for the night. There is still a couple hours of daylight but I need that time to rest and relax. I gather some dry grass and tree branches with which I focus on trying to make a fire. Keeping in mind what I learned back at Compound a few years ago, I grab a couple of rocks and strike them together till I get a small prickling flame alive. It slowly grows and turns into a pleasing cooking fire. I then find a stick with which I skewer my meat onto and then cook slowly over the fire.

The wolf has finished eating her supper and now observes me as I eat mine. Eventually she gets bored and starts to explore her perimeter around the rope. She comes to rest by the fire and watches as the flames reach up to the sky. As I watch her, she slowly snakes out her tongue in effort to catch the falling embers. Before I can shove her away from the fire, a small, still burning leaf settles onto her tongue. With a yelp she jumps back and shakes her head back and forth. She's more surprised than hurt and I can't help but to laugh. Looking embarrassed, my wolf tucks her tail between her legs and goes to lay as far away from the fire as possible.

I'm still smiling when something falls from the sky and lands on my nose. I look up only to see nothing but the clouded sky. My nose is now wet and the liquid that hit it was slightly cold. I'm still looking up when more of it falls. This time on my eye. Then, as if someone pushed a button, thousands upon thousands of the small clear liquid drops fall from the clouds.

“Rain.” I say. I am completely wet within minutes and am now slightly cold. I should find shelter under a tree like my wolf did but I just stand there and let the rain fall on me. The grime on my face from the past days washes off and feel the resemblance of clean. Then it's gone. Just as fast as it came. A sliver of sun peers around the corner of a cloud and shines down creating a soft brightness to everything. I mix of colors appears below the cloud line in a way that reminds me of a sunset yet not nearly as wild and pretty. It's a rainbow and I stare at it until it too leaves. The rain has now caused a new smell to crawl over the trees and grass. It's fresher smelling and as if the air itself has had a spice added to it.

Finding a sturdy tree, I sit down and lean against it while continuing to observe all the beauty. My fire has gone out and I realize everything is to wet to try and start another one. My second sunset comes and goes and is just as riveting as the first. My eyes start to drift close when a blue and silver globe appears in the sky. It's vast roundness illuminates the night like a midnight sun. I stare at what I know to be the moon and feel satisfactory settle in at finally seeing it.

A word comes to my mouth then and I mutter it in the stillness. Looking at my wolf I see her delicately licking a paw. I stand up and walk over to where I am in front of her. She looks up at me as if waiting for me to say the word again. I do. She picks up her ears in admiration. And so it is, In the middle of the night, I say the word once more. This time, crowning it as a name for my wolf.

“Luna.”


	5. Astrid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't remember if this is chronologically in context lmao????

I’m Astrid Elpis and I’m the only person that can save the human race. **  
**

Ok, that’s an exaggeration, I’m not the only person. Most likely there’s a person out there who has similar DNA as me, that a cure could be made from. Though, despite my multitude of resources I haven't found anyone. But it took me a long time and some unfortunate events to figure all of this out. So I guess it was fate that caused adventure to come knocking at my door. That wasn't a euphemism, it literally knocked at my door -- a door that hadn't been opened in over 10 years.

The knock in question echoed off the steel walls of the entire entry room and managed to thoroughly startle me, sending the popcorn and remote crashing to the floor. I attempt to stand up yet find myself caught in the blanket and find myself falling to the floor as well. Untangling myself, I pause Netflix and walk across the room to examine the security camera screens beside the door. They show a small band of people grouped outside. The teens appear travel worn, dirty and one of them appears to be unconscious.

“ASCH what can you tell me about them?” The AI comes to life, it’s symbol flaring neon green on the wall.

“5 people, I detect quite a few weapons, especially on the one in the front. Though none of their vital signs show abnormal fluctuation that could determine if they are preparing to fight. I am aware you wish to let them in Astrid but I am programmed first and foremost to be your protector. They are too much of a risk.” In the back of the group I notice a familiar face, the one I had watched through the security monitors for several years, until she disappeared. 

Years ago I tried to reason with ASCH, in the hopes that the AI would let in the aforementioned girl, or at least let me out to meet her. However, it quite literally couldn't open the door even if it had decided to. The only way this door could ever open is with a manual override. I’m somewhat skilled with computers, but this bunker was built by incredibly talented technicians. Nevertheless, I did my best to understand the lock circuitry enough to hopefully succeed in opening it. Although by the time I did, the girl was long gone. So I set it up as much as I could so I could quickly dismantle it in the event she ever came back. Unfortunately I never got the chance to test it out, once the manual override activates it will never electronically lock again. Leaving only a heavily reinforced door between me and the outside world, and ASCH was right about one thing. What’s inside here is too valuable to be destroyed. 

This is the secret storage center for all the information of the world as it once was. Nearly everything that has ever been written, typed or spoken is stored here. People thought the government was watching them and keeping track of their every move, they were only partially correct. Everything was tracked, but not by the government. A group of people infiltrated various parts of the world’s governments, and managed to steal copies or originals of every significant document, and every meaningless one too. There’s an entire floor of data banks, a floor for every climate with all the plants that have ever existed, a seed vault, a massive zoo with every animal from all over the earth and much more. ASCH and other independent AI take care of all of it, an elaborate Noah’s ark if you will. This bunker was created in the event the world ever went kaput and one day, people would need to begin again. Unfortunately, the only people protecting all of this is the girl outside, ASCH and me. So if the girl knows these people, they're probably somewhat worthy. Just in case though, I built in a fail safe, when the override is activated, it also activates ASCH’s protection system that closes off all entries except the entry room and only I have the password to disable it.

“Ok, that will be all ASCH” The symbol fades from view, I walk quickly to the digital door lock and dismantle the screen. Revealing the inside circuitry. I only have a few seconds before ASCH will sense the intrusion, reactivate and stop me. I cut the necessary wires and remount the screen. ASCH’s symbol flares up, yet it’s flickering and when the intercom comes on, I can barely understand the crackling voice.

I begin twisting the bank-esque manual handle on the door, using a crowbar to aid with the rust from years of disuse. It creaks open, revealing the band of teens, the first people I have seen face to face since I was 5. I smile awkwardly and wave at them with my free hand. 


	6. Piper's POV - Astrid's Intro

The silence around us is almost overwhelming and I am ready to smack someone due to the heat. Caz has set Lydia down on the ground and is checking her wound, Idiot. I feel that I did a fine job in cauterizing it. He should only be worried about infection and if that happens, he wouldn’t know for at least another day. Hopefully by then I’ll be gone.

I am ready to leave right then when a loud and awful noise scrapes against my eardrums. I jerk my head back to stare at the door, along with the rest of the group. With more scraping and screeching, the door finally comes to stop, fully open. Inside darkness greets our gazes and I strain my eyes to get a better look. Something is moving.

Reaching inside my jacket I grip one of my knives but I don’t pull it out yet. The shape inside slowly starts to take form and I take a step back at the absurdness of it. A girl, she holds a crowbar in one hand and the other is giving a tentative wave. The girl is dressed in a tank top and baggy sweatpants. Her hair is dark auburn and pulled back into a ponytail. Her green and yellow speckled eyes are piercing and alive. Compared to everything I’ve encountered in the past few days, this girl looks clean and innocent.

From behind me I hear Jake give a snorting laugh. Caz is on his feet with a gun out and, for once, I agree with his actions and pull my knife out. I move to take a step towards the girl but am shoved out of the way by Cecil. I stumble and almost lose my balance but quickly regain my stance. Luna, who has been laying at my side and observing, jumps up and gives a menacing growl. She is still small and doesn't offer much of a threat. However, it distracts Cecil enough that I can shove her aside and pin the new girl with my knife. Knowing Cecil will come at me again I turn the girl so she is facing everyone else and my back is to the still open door. My knife is pressed against her throat and she goes instantly still, dropping the crowbar.

“That’s better,” I mutter under my breath. Cecil looks pained at not being able to do anything and a wave of annoyance washes over me at the fact that I can not ask her questions to explain her rashness. I roll my eyes and focus them back to the girl from the bunker.

“Can you talk?” I ask her. All I need is another mute. I wait a second before digging my knife into her throat slightly. She winces before giving a slight nod.

“Good,” I say easing up on the pressure from my knife. “What’s your name?”

“Astrid,” she says. her voice is shaky but pleasantly light.

“Well, Astrid, I need some answers. Ok? are you going to tell me what i want to hear or not?” My actions seem unnecessary but I am only being cautious.

“Perhaps so, if you get that knife out from under my chin”

“Yeah, I’m not so sure i want to do that.” I say.

“Piper, just let her go.” Caz has approached us now. “What is she going to do? Attack us? I’m pretty sure we have her outnumbered."

I look at Jake for support but he just shrugs and throws his hands up so as to say Caz is right. Astrid is still shaking a little but her gaze isn’t on my knife. It’s on Lydia.

“Hey man, if you want to help your friend there, you gotta let me go. I’m the only one can give you access to the first aid room.”

Now I am out numbered. The death glare that Cecil is giving me demands I release Astrid. I look at Lydia and know that when I cauterized her wound it was only temporary. She will get sick. Whoever she is, and whatever she is to me, I can’t let her die. Slowly I lower my knife and and give Astrid a little shove.

“Ok, I let you go. Now, help her.” I point to Lydia with my knife.

Astrid nods and walks to a blank wall of the room, she places her hands in what appears to be a pattern and wherever her hands are placed a green glow is left behind. After one last touch of her finger, the wall slowly sinks down into the floor revealing a living room and kitchen area. Jake doesn’t hesitate and follows instantly. Caz picks up Lydia and goes next. I look at cecil but realize she isn’t going until I do. I give her smile and can’t help but to admire her stubbornness.

“Whatever you say, hot stuff.” I laugh at my own bad humor. She frowns and follows me. When I step over the sunken wall, it takes a minute to take in everything. The rooms consist of pristine white walls with a soft green light near the ceiling that traces the walls and follows the hallway. On one side of the room sits black leather furniture and a giant TV. Other various pieces of technology lie among the room of which I have no name for.

Opposite of me lays what can only be the kitchen. Stainless steel countertops and a gas stove are all arranged neatly inside. We continue our way through the bunker and pass more doorways. Each door is marked with a sign indicating what is inside. We come to one door inparticular and Astrid pipes up.

“Here's where you guys can sleep.” she opens the door to reveal more white walls and a long line of beds. each bed is accessorized with a dresser and side table. Astrid closes the door and opens the one across from it. Inside this one I see what I think is a locker room.

“And here is where you can shower and wash your clothes. God knows you smell like you’ve been rolling on dead bodies.” She squints a her eyes a little before adding, “You haven’t been doing that have you?”

“Only a couple.” I reply with a smirk. Jake hides a smile.

Caz just gets flustered and says, “Can we have a medical room now?”

Astrid rolls her eyes and waves us forward. Our next stop is at a door with the first aid sign on it. She opens it and points to a bed.

“You can lay her there. The bots will inspect her and see what’s wrong.” She eyes Caz, “I suppose you will be staying here with her?”

Caz nods and Astrid turns to leave. I make way to follow but can not take my eyes of the Clinic roome. I feel like I’m back at the Compound Clinic getting my prosthetic legs. My mind had been laced with morphine for the pain but I still remember so many of the details. Mostly I remember me screaming and telling the doctors to make the pain stop. I swallow hard and continue to follow the others. I stop suddenly though when a rage of pain racks through my head. Then I remember something that I had never seen before. It’s Mareth leaning over me saying something i can’t quite understand.

Then it’s gone. Both the memory and the pain. I am suddenly very hot and evacuate the medical room quickly. I lay down on the floor then and try to steady my breathing. Luna has reappeared and is now sitting next to me. she licks my face affectionately. I hear someone's voice and look around. Jake is kneeling in front of me.

“You ok?” he asks.

I look around see everyone has disappeared. “Peachy,” I respond. slowly I stand back up.

“I just need some sleep.”


	7. Astrid

I leave the injured girl and her cohorts in the health room. The girl who attacked me, Piper, wasn't looking so well when I left. But that's her problem, she and her sharp ass knife need a damn timeout anyway. Back in the health room, I had motioned for the girl that I had recognized from a few years ago to follow me. She now walks behind me down the hall and we stop in the living room. I turn around to face her. “You’ve been around here before right? I remember spotting you in the security camera feeds, I banged on the door, but you never noticed. How did you not hear me? After I saw you, I asked my computer if it knew who you are, and it told me that you're the daughter of the man who used to protect this place. What happened to him?” While I had been speaking, she had not been looking around, but concentrating on my lips. Normally, I would have be flattered, but her stare was too focused to be flirty. _Well, that answers one question._ She finally looks me in the eye and gestures with her hands, like she’s tracing a shape in her palm. She needs something to write with. Somehow the bunker is somewhat lacking in paper, but with all the tech I found in storage, random tablets, phones and laptops lay scattered across every surface. From my attempts to understand how they work, and improve them. I pick up the nearest tablet, lying inside a fruit bowl in the kitchen and open it to a drawing app. But when I hand it to the girl she only looks at me with a bewildered expression. _Ok, so she definitely has no experience with technology_. I repeat the motion with my hands that she made earlier and she looks back down at the white screen, and swipes with her finger. When a line appears a brief look of delight crosses her face before going stony again. I point to different symbols on the screen and demonstrate how they work, eventually she waves me away and writes out the answer to my question from earlier. Her handwriting and spelling is childlike but I can still understand her message.

(If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm deaf. Which is why I didn't respond, I apologize. My father disappeared many years ago, I haven't seen him since. I assume he's dead.)

“Oh, I’m so sorry about your dad, did he teach you sign language or any other way of communication? Would it be easier if I wrote too, so you don't need to read my lips?” She nods and I fetch another tablet from the coffee table. When I come back, she has another message.

(He did not know sign language and we didn't exactly have resources to learn, but we did have a few books that he taught me to lip read with. Though I am very unpracticed so it would be much easier for me to read your writing.)

I type out my answer and allow her to read it, it takes her a minute to understand, but I wait patiently for her reply.

( ****Ok, how’s this? Oh dear, I completely forgot to ask your name! Are you hungry, or hurt? And you can keep that tablet, I have plenty. If you need anything, you can ask me!!)

She replies somewhat quickly, but as I read, I hear scuffling from the hallway, signaling the others were coming back.  


(My name is Cecil. You're Astrid right? Thank you for your kindness, but I do not need anything.)

The "from you" at the end of her sentence goes unwritten, but I understand. She obviously doesn't trust me, but I don't really trust them yet either. Though she does seem to linger wistfully for a moment before replacing the tablet on the counter. It’s at that moment that the girl from earlier decides to return, but she’s leaning heavily against the other boy, not the one who is now with the injured girl. I take the chance to look at them a bit closer, now that there isn't a knife at my throat. The boy looks distinctly different than the others, his clothes seem to be styled more like what I have around the bunker, while they wear a more rugged, uniform like ensemble. Even his face and hair are somehow cleaner. It’s as if while he was trekking through the dangers of the woods, he still managed to keep up his appearance. I can appreciate that in a person. The girl, however, looks like she was just mauled by mother nature. Various substances stain her clothes and twigs and leaves are stuck in her braid. Unidentifiable substances lurk beneath her fingernails and encrust her skin. A dirty wolf pup trails behind the pair. I turn, so Cecil can watch my lips, before speaking.

“All of you look disgusting, go shower and I’ll bake a pizza that you can eat when you're done. What are your favorite toppings? Also, I take it you're Piper, but what's your name?” The boy looks as if he’s about to speak, but Piper interrupts. 

“What’s Pizza? Does it have apples?” I stare at her in mute horror as does the boy, his jaw having dropped at the reply. I look over to Cecil, but she also has a look of utter confusion. 

“How can you never had have pizza!?” The boy practically shouts. Piper just glares and rubs her forehead. She attempts to leave the support of the boy, but almost falls. He catches her and looks back to me.

“My name is Jake, I’m going to take Grumpy here, to take a shower. You better make a damn fine pizza if this is gonna be her first one!”, He turns and walks the girl down the hall, I gesture that Cecil should follow him. She simply turns her head and stares for a moment, before leaving me alone in the living room. God that girl is unnerving. Nonetheless she’s the most familiar person I have here now. I wonder if I’ll ever be truly alone again. As I ponder on the events of the day, and what’s going to happen from here, I walk over to the kitchen and start on that “damn fine” pizza. I also heat up some oil for frying mozzarella sticks and retrieve some french bread to turn into garlic bread. Only the best for my very first guests.


End file.
